Acts 3–6

Peter Heals the Disabled Beggar

3One day Peter and John were going up to the temple. It was three o’clock in the afternoon. It was the time for prayer. ²A man unable to walk was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful. He had been that way since he was born. Every day someone put him near the gate. There he would beg from people going into the temple courtyards.

³He saw that Peter and John were about to enter. So he asked them for money. ⁴Peter looked straight at him, and so did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” ⁵So the man watched them closely. He expected to get something from them.

⁶Peter said, “I don’t have any silver or gold. But I’ll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk.” ⁷Then Peter took him by the right hand and helped him up. At once the man’s feet and ankles became strong. ⁸He jumped to his feet and began to walk. He went with Peter and John into the temple courtyards. He walked and jumped and praised God. ⁹All the people saw him walking and praising God. ¹⁰They recognized him as the same man who used to sit and beg at the temple gate called Beautiful. They were filled with wonder. They were amazed at what had happened to him.

Peter Speaks to the Jews

¹¹The beggar was holding on to Peter and John. All the people were amazed. They came running to them at Solomon’s Porch. ¹²When Peter saw this, he said, “Men of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us? We haven’t made this man walk by our own power or godliness. ¹³The God of our fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, has done this. He has brought glory to Jesus, who serves him. But you handed Jesus over to be killed. Pilate had decided to let him go. But you spoke against Jesus when he was in Pilate’s court. ¹⁴You spoke against the Holy and Blameless One. You asked for a murderer to be set free instead. ¹⁵You killed the one who gives life. But God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. ¹⁶This man whom you see and know was made strong because of faith in Jesus’ name. Faith in Jesus has healed him completely. You can see it with your own eyes.

¹⁷“My friends, I know you didn’t realize what you were doing. Neither did your leaders. ¹⁸But God had given a promise through all the prophets. And this is how he has made his promise come true. He said that his Christ would suffer. ¹⁹So turn away from your sins. Turn to God. Then your sins will be wiped away. The time will come when the Lord will make everything new. ²⁰He will send the Christ. Jesus has been appointed as the Christ for you. ²¹He must remain in heaven until the time when God makes everything new. He promised this long ago through his holy prophets. ²²Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me. He will be one of your own people. You must listen to everything he tells you. ²³Those who do not listen to him will be completely cut off from their people.’

²⁴“Samuel and all the prophets after him spoke about this. They said these days would come. ²⁵What the prophets said was meant for you. The covenant God made with your people long ago is yours also. He said to Abraham, ‘All nations on earth will be blessed through your children.’ ²⁶God raised up Jesus, who serves him. God sent him first to you. He did it to bless you. He wanted to turn each of you from your evil ways.”

Peter and John Are Taken to the Sanhedrin

4Peter and John were speaking to the people. The priests, the captain of the temple guard, and the Sadducees came up to the apostles. ²They were very upset by what the apostles were teaching the people. The apostles were saying that because Jesus rose from the dead, people can be raised from the dead. ³So the temple authorities arrested Peter and John. It was already evening, so they put them in prison until the next day. ⁴But many who heard the message believed. The number of men who believed grew to about 5,000.

⁵The next day the rulers, the elders and the teachers of the law met in Jerusalem. ⁶Annas, the high priest, was there. So were Caiaphas, John, Alexander and others in the high priest’s family. ⁷They had Peter and John brought to them. They wanted to question them. “By what power did you do this?” they asked. “And through whose name?”

⁸Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit. He said to them, “Rulers and elders of the people! ⁹Are you asking us to explain our actions today? Do you want to know why we were kind to a disabled man? Are you asking how he was healed? ¹⁰Then listen to this, you and all the people of Israel! You nailed Jesus Christ of Nazareth to the cross. But God raised him from the dead. It is through Jesus’ name that this man stands healed in front of you. ¹¹Scripture says that Jesus is

“ ‘the stone you builders did not accept.

But it has become the most important stone of all.’

¹²You can’t be saved by believing in anyone else. God has given us no other name under heaven that will save us.”

¹³The leaders saw how bold Peter and John were. They also realized that Peter and John were ordinary men with no training. This surprised the leaders. They realized that these men had been with Jesus. ¹⁴The leaders could see the man who had been healed standing there with them. So there was nothing they could say. ¹⁵They ordered Peter and John to leave the Sanhedrin. Then they talked things over. ¹⁶“What can we do with these men?” they asked. “Everybody in Jerusalem knows they have done an outstanding miracle. We can’t say it didn’t happen. ¹⁷We have to stop this thing. It must not spread any further among the people. We have to warn these men. They must never speak to anyone in Jesus’ name again.”

¹⁸Once again the leaders called in Peter and John. They commanded them not to speak or teach at all in Jesus’ name. ¹⁹But Peter and John replied, “Judge for yourselves. Which is right from God’s point of view? Should we obey you? Or God? ²⁰There’s nothing else we can do. We have to speak about the things we’ve seen and heard.”

²¹The leaders warned them again. Then they let them go. They couldn’t decide how to punish Peter and John. They knew that all the people were praising God for what had happened. ²²The man who had been healed by the miracle was over 40 years old.

The Believers Pray

²³Peter and John were allowed to leave. They went back to their own people. They reported everything the chief priests and the elders had said to them. ²⁴When the believers heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. “Lord and King,” they said, “you made the heavens, the earth and the sea. You made everything in them. ²⁵Long ago you spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of our father David, who served you. You said,

“ ‘Why are the nations angry?

Why do the people make useless plans?

²⁶The kings of the earth take their stand against the Lord.

The rulers of the earth gather together

against his Anointed King.’

²⁷“In fact, Herod and Pontius Pilate met together in this city with those who weren’t Jews. They also met with the people of Israel. All of them made plans against your holy servant Jesus. He is the one you anointed. ²⁸They did what your power and purpose had already decided should happen. ²⁹Now, Lord, consider the bad things they say they are going to do. Help us to be very bold when we speak your word. ³⁰Stretch out your hand to heal. Do miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”

³¹After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit. They were bold when they spoke God’s word.

The Believers Share What They Own

³²All the believers were agreed in heart and mind. They didn’t claim that anything they had was their own. They shared everything they owned. ³³With great power the apostles continued their teaching. They gave witness that the Lord Jesus had risen from the dead. And they were greatly blessed by God.

³⁴There were no needy persons among them. From time to time, those who owned land or houses sold them. They brought the money from the sales. ³⁵They put it down at the apostles’ feet. It was then given out to anyone who needed it.

³⁶Joseph was a Levite from Cyprus. The apostles called him Barnabas. The name Barnabas means Son of Help. ³⁷Barnabas sold a field he owned. He brought the money from the sale. He put it down at the apostles’ feet.

Ananias and Sapphira

5A man named Ananias and his wife, Sapphira, also sold some land. ²He kept part of the money for himself. Sapphira knew he had kept it. He brought the rest of it and put it down at the apostles’ feet.

³Then Peter said, “Ananias, why did you let Satan fill your heart? He made you lie to the Holy Spirit. You have kept some of the money you received for the land. ⁴Didn’t the land belong to you before it was sold? After it was sold, you could have used the money as you wished. What made you think of doing such a thing? You haven’t lied to just anyone. You’ve lied to God.”

⁵When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. All who heard what had happened were filled with fear. ⁶Some young men came and wrapped up his body. They carried him out and buried him.

⁷About three hours later, the wife of Ananias came in. She didn’t know what had happened. ⁸Peter asked her, “Tell me. Is this the price you and Ananias sold the land for?”

“Yes,” she said. “That’s the price.”

⁹Peter asked her, “How could you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord? Listen! You can hear the steps of the men who buried your husband. They are at the door. They will carry you out also.”

¹⁰At that very moment she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in. They saw that Sapphira was dead. So they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. ¹¹The whole church and all who heard about these things were filled with fear.

The Apostles Heal Many People

¹²The apostles did many miraculous signs and wonders among the people. All the believers used to meet together at Solomon’s Porch. ¹³No outsider dared to join them. But the people thought highly of them. ¹⁴More and…